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All posts for the month June, 2009

I don’t know if you heard this in the news, but down south in Georgia, former mayor Mark Musselwhite got himself arrested for being naked. Officers found him sitting nude at his Rabun County campsite. Click hereto read the story.

This got me to thinking – is there something wrong with being naked? I mean, the guy was just sitting there minding his own business, wasn’t playing with his “junk” or anything and isn’t the human body a beautiful thing?

Don’t get me wrong – I have no desire to see Mark Musselwhite naked, but how about some of our local politicians? How about members on Cincinnati City Council?

Now I’m a guy, so I have so interest in seeing the male members of city council nude (especially you David Crowley), but Laketa Cole? Sure. Leslie Ghiz? Oh hell yeah!

My friend Greg Flannery and I had our “important business meeting” at Cosmo’s in Covington this past Friday afternoon and my old friend was getting on my ass a little bit.

“Put together a press release,” he said. “Arrange some book signings.”

You see, today is the official release of my book “Living Out Loud.” Starting today, bookstores can order it and it’s totally up and running to buy at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and most other online bookstores.

Of course, Greg is right, but before I start my shameless self-promotion, I want to say that the real fun in putting together a book or a short story or a column or a news story is in the actual writing. That’s where the joy is for me. I find very little happiness in promoting myself. Still, it would be nice to sell some books.

So here we go with the sell job.

“Living Out Loud: Adventures, Discoveries and Conclusions Made While Exploring a Life – Namely My Own” is a book of essays, most of which appeared in CityBeat from 2001 through 2008. A lot of them are the Living Out Loud columns that got the most reader response (Here and there, we make a few changes from the original work). Others were written before that column came along or couldn’t fit into that space. I also include some essays that were written for Streetvibes and scattered throughout the 260 page book are essays never before published, but all written before the current year of 2009.

Like life, the essays are a bit all over the map. Some of the essays are funny, some serious, others strange or flat out silly. I think that’ s kind of how real life is.

Looking over eight years of stuff I’ve written was interesting. As I went through all those years, I found that a lot of the early essays I’ve written were too loose and didn’t have much of an attitude. Those I didn’t include in the book – but some of the early stuff did show my intended approach, or so I hope, and you’ll find them in the book.

All in all, I had a good time putting this together. I’m very proud of the fact that my good friend, the guy who’s getting on my ass about promoting it – Gregory Flannery, wrote the introduction.

I remember after reading Greg’s introduction to my book, I sent him an e-mail saying if I’m such a good writer, why the hell I’m I living in a small studio apartment in Westwood?

But in continuing my sell job. . .

If you’re interesting in getting a copy of the book, you can go to Amazon or Barnes and Noble or it can be ordered at your favorite bookstore. And in the coming weeks, we will do some book signings so you can see my ugly face. I’ll keep you all posted on that. Yes, there will be even more shameless self-promotion.

I’ll be damn if the Gawker blog isn’t right. Last week was the week when everybody died.

The most shocking was the death of Michael Jackson. At The Daily Beat, Mike Breen asked the interesting question if it’s possible to separate an artist’s personality and deeds from their creative work. In Michael Jackson’s case, I say yes.

Jackson was a master showman – an artist that we won’t see the likes of again. As far as his personality, I think it’s pretty clear he was a strange guy, but I for one never thought he was a pedophile. Sure he liked kids, but hell – he was a kid himself. I don’t think Jackson ever had a chance to really grow up. During that “blackmail” trail a few years back, I felt sorry for him. For so much of his life, I simply think he was used and I wish his life could have been happier.

I think Jackson’s doctor has some explaining to do. The Sun reported last week that Jackson was on a daily, deadly drug cocktail. Why do some doctors think that drugs are the answer to everything?

Also last Thursday, we lost Farrah Fawcett. The Examiner gives us a nice snapshot of her life.

Sure, I remember “Charlie’s Angels,” that poster, that David Letterman appearance and some of her bad movies – but I also remember in her later career, she proved she was actually a pretty good actor. She was certainly too young to die at 62.

Ed McMahon wasn’t that young. He also died last week at the age of 86. The Associated Press is reporting that NBC will host an untelevised event to celebrate the life of Johnny Carson’s longtime sidekick.

In the world of blogs, many of us were sad to hear that Lindsay Beyerstein over at the Majikthiseblog lost her grandmother Christine. She was 95-years-old.

In keeping with the theme of death, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford’s political career is dead or it should be. Last week, Crooks and Liars told us he apologized to his staff for telling all his lies and for thinking with his third leg and for banging someone other than his wife. While stating how sorry he was, Sanford was constantly referencing words from the Bible.

Yeah, bring Jesus into it to make people think you’re a swell guy. I hope people in the great state of South Carolina and his staff can see through this bullshit. Come reelection, kick his horny ass out of office.

Speaking of bullshit, know who Rush Limbaugh is blaming for this Sanford affair? President Obama. The Huffington Post gave us this silly report last week. Hey Rush, take another one of your prescription pills and just shut the hell up.

Finally in closing and getting back here locally to Cincinnati and also in keeping with our theme of death, The Cincinnati Nation reported last week that downtown continues to fail. After 141 years in operation, Bankhardt’s, that fine luggage and leather goods store on Fourth Street, has closed up. Also the Bankers Club, located at Fifth Third Center, after 63 years in business is now gone. What will be next? Perhaps. . . Arby’s?

Enough about death of any sort. Let’s all enjoy our Sunday.

(Photo of Michael Jackson from hotcelebrity.com and photo of Farrah Fawcett found on Google)

We can all rest easy now. South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford has been found. He’s safe and sound but sadly was caught with his pants and underwear down. He’s just another politician thinking with his third leg.

This gets less shocking all the time – male politicians cheating on their wives and getting caught. Those on that sinful list include John Ensign, David Vitter, Eliot Spitzer, John Edwards and Rudy Giuliani. And remember what President Bill Clinton was doing with that intern right there in the White House?

Sex scandals have even happened here in sleepy Cincinnati. In 1974, Cincinnati City Council member Jerry Springer wrote a check to a prostitute for services rendered. At least he didn’t pull out his American Express card.

I don’t recall any female politicians getting caught in this kind of activity and I guess that says something about men. Are we really all alike?

In my view, I don’t really care what these guys do in their personal lives. It doesn’t make them a bad politician or a good one.

I think Clinton was a good president despite that stuff with his intern. John Edwards is probably a decent person despite his lovechild and Rudy Giuliani is an idiot even if he hadn’t cheated on his wife.

When these guys get caught, I’m not one to think they should resign. Come reelection; let the voters decide if they want the dude with the hard on to stay in office.

And another thing, you male politicians, stop the tears, cut the crying. That goes for you too Mark Sanford. I’m not about to feel sorry for you because you were cheating on your wife and banging some hottie. Pull your underwear and pants up and get back to work.

In this week’s Living Out Loud column in CityBeat, I do some talking about my weird life. If you’re interested in reading it, click here.

Despite the weirdness, I have met some interesting people and that includes Crystal Gayle. Oh yeah, I had a thing for her.

Some of you may be too young to recognize that name, but maybe you’ve heard of the song “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue.” Crystal is the one who recorded it.

It’s a great song, but it’s not my favorite by Crystal. Some years before that hit record came along, she recorded “You Never Miss a Real Good Thing.”I recently found it on You Tube and as far as I’m concerned, it still holds up.